Chris Wollard And The Ship Thieves - Canyons

2012 has already brought us the triumphant return of Hot Water Music with the awesome Exister, so the fact that we’re getting a new full-length from HWM guitarist/vocalist Chris Wollard’s side project is just icing on the PBR cake. (It’s a real thing; Google it.) Wollard uses the bulk of Canyons to deliver amped-up roots rock with shit-kicker guitar leads and vocals buried just deep enough in the mix where you have to turn to the lyric sheet to understand what he’s singing. Think of it as a slightly more Southern-rock version of Dinosaur Jr. and you’re close. Unlike the Ship Thieves’ 2009 self-titled debut, Canyons is a largely electric affair, which means a number of songs kind of blend together into one long guitar solo. But man, that guitar solo is tits.